Wish me luck - I'm getting my first tattoo on saturday

[OriginalGeek]

Always wanted one but never really looked into it seriously. But then my wife got a nice little umbrella with a peacock feather on one of the panels and pretty much dared me to get a tattoo too.

So I'm gonna draw up a Green Man and get him put on my shoulder.

For point of reference, I'm 52 and she's 59. Better late than never, eh?

She's planning to laugh at me if I whimper any.

We wanted to get them done now so they'd be well healed by the time we go on our 30th anniversary cruise in July.

I wanted Green Man because it's a symbol that's found in most cultures in some way or another but especially in Celtic lore. It can be either secular or religious. There are many interpretations and meanings but my main reason is rebirth/renewal can stand for eternal inspiration and the artsy-fartsy side of me likes that.

Oh, and as much as I love Always Sunny in Philadelphia, I mean this Green Man:


Once I see how this goes, I will probably get more - I gotta get some music related ones plus my family stuff (Scottish clan badge and tartan and such.)

[jmowreader]

1. Follow your artist's aftercare instructions to the letter

And don't freak out when it starts peeling...they do that, and it's normal.

[OriginalGeek]

2. yeah, hers is just getting out of the itchy stage

she freaked out a little bit when it peeled but a call to our guy (plus actually reading through all the information he gave us lol) put us at ease. Hers is about 3 weeks old now.

we been putting on the goop religiously and treating it like an open wound so trying to stay very sterile and so far looks like it's healing up nicely.

[jmowreader]

3. Don't get too religious about it

Too much goop is as bad as not enough. As long as it's kept moist until all the dead skin falls off, you're fine.

[OriginalGeek]

4. lol we were trying to figure out

what they meant by moist but not wet. I figured it was just keep it covered thinly...once or twice a day depending how much her clothes absorbed it (It's on the back of her shoulder). Mine will be on my upper arm so i can get to it easier and so I can look at it more lol.

[pinboy3niner]

5. You'll do fine

I never wanted any tattoos, even when I was in the Army for 4-1/2 years. But I ended up with a couple tattoos 3 decades later while attending a big Vietnam vet reunion in Kokomo, Indiana with a half dozen buddies. Among the many vendors there was a tattoo shop that did some very good work. One of the guys proposed a pact for all of us to get tattoos, and one thing led to another (surprisingly with no drinking involved).

So we all went over to get tattoos, with me last. But by the time my turn came it was the end of the day and I was asked to return the next day. So I went on the last day of the reunion. And I never told my buddies, but I got my tattoos for half price because it was the last day.

Good luck!

[OriginalGeek]

17. I'm trying to get the family discount

but he ain't buying it. We're both descended from different septs of the same Scottish clan. He'll be great though and he's already practiced at tattooing our tartan. So that will be one of the next ones...

[pinboy3niner]

19. Go for it

I just got lucky on the price.

And the artist told me that the secret to an almost painless procedure is to not let the needle go deep. Just penetrating the skin is sufficient.

Another thing is that nowadays they have inks in vibrant colors, so you may have to specify whether you want something muted or bright.

[trof]

6. What ever possessed you?

Why did you ever (especially a grown man) think that inking a permanent image on your skin would make you happier or more content?
Or make you feel better about yourself?
Or have more self esteem?
Or look cooler?
Or make you more appealing to others?

I just do not get it and I never will.
meh

[pinboy3niner]

7. I waited long enough that I figured at least the mortician would appreciate it

[dilby]

9. It's kind of like taking a beautiful piece of art and having it with you at all times.

I love all my tattoos they are all very beautiful and I really don't care if others like them all though I do get complements especially for the one dedicated to my grandmother, it's one of my favorites and people always ask me about it so I get to share with them all the time about her.

[OriginalGeek]

13. Yep, what Dilby said

plus it will be something I drew and the tattoo artist will permanently add that to everything that is me.

Forgot to add, it's OK you don't like tattoos - I still love ya man.

[pinboy3niner]

16. Just remember--it's not easy being green

[panader0]

21. No tats for me either.

No piercings. no jewelry of any kind. I'm happy being the way I was made. (except for that
circumcision thing)

[trof]

24. Same here.

[dilby]

8. Congratulations I love all of mine.

I got one when I was 18, two more at 30 and then 8 more at 40 with 5 of them being pretty large pieces. My mom who is 65 is getting a water color butterfly when she comes out in September to visit the grand kids, will be her first tattoo and she likes all of mine so wants to use my artist. As a surprise I am getting the same tattoo so we can have matching ones.

Anyways they can be addicting especially when you get some beautiful art that you like to look at.

[OriginalGeek]

15. yeah, i haven't even got it yet

and I am already pondering the next ones...That's awesome getting matching ones with your mom. My wife and I are thinking of something like that too.

[dilby]

20. My significant other and I both got each other's first initial on our ring fingers.

Although we will never get married it's our way of committing to each other, one of my favorite tattoos.

[madamesilverspurs]

10. Good for you!

Chicken I am!

There’s some gorgeous ink running around these days, but my lifelong aversion to needles yells at me every time I think about it.

That said, I’m reminded of when I went back to school in my mid-40s. One of my classmates was a fellow my age who decided to “fit in” with the regular students. Suffice it to say that he hadn’t taken especially good care of himself and tended to have floppy flab instead of firm muscles; the tank tops he favored showed off the newly acquired bicep tats that tended to wobble when he walked. Those tank tops also exposed the very bushy gray armpit hair that didn’t quite match his Grecian formula orange comb-over.

One of my younger friends treated herself to a perky unicorn on her chest. Years later, she chuckles as she explains the weird looking giraffe to her grandkids.

Still, I can’t help wishing I wasn’t such a wimp . . .

Enjoy your art!

[pinboy3niner]

11. "the weird looking giraffe"

[OriginalGeek]

18. Oh I'll have some wobble lol

but I don't care. maybe I'll do some curls to tighten it up...12oz at a time...

It's never too late!

When my wife was done the guy said "I'm impressed - you didn't even ask for anesthetic once"


She looked up and said "WTF!? I could have had ANESTHETIC??!!"

[irisblue]

22. a ? for her

Did she have pre tat vodka or vicodin?

[OriginalGeek]

23. nope, nothing

she doesn't like vodka except when I make her White Russians (and I have to go easy on the vodka for her which is fine - more for me lol). Only pills she takes are for cholesterol and blood pressure.

She said the fear she had built up in her mind was WAY worse than the actual deed.

[Wounded Bear]

12. Looks a little complex for a first tat...

but best of luck. I hope all goes well.

[OriginalGeek]

14. that's just an example of a green man

I'm going to draw one myself and incorporate my kids and grandkids initials into the leaves. Then my tattoo guy will make it beautiful - he's really great - we've been friends for several years but I'm just now getting up the nerve to do it lol.

[TexasBushwhacker]

25. The one time I spent a night in jail

I noticed that every other woman there had a tattoo except me. No tats for me, thanks.

Although if I ever get cancer and lose my hair to chemo, I might be willing to get something badass on my scalp.

[OriginalGeek]

26. I'd say that's a pretty good reason

But I hope you never get to use it.

[TexasBushwhacker]

27. I'm paranoid because my mother died of breast cancer n/t

[Violet_Crumble]

28. I got my first one a few weeks ago when I was in Auckland...

Probably won't get any more as I get too fidgety having to sit still for too long. Yrs looks really detailed so the ten minutes it took for the little smiley face just above my ankle is a walk in the park timewise.

Here's one the same as mine but that one's on a wrist and mine's just cuter...



Good luck with it

[Recursion]

29. Awesome! I remember my first

I still love skin art. I get one per decade, and I'm due soon...

[Miles Archer]

30. Just got my third a week ago.

[OriginalGeek]

32. let go and let Jerry!

[NJCher]

31. eh

Cher

[OriginalGeek]

33. and here it is!

I drew this:


and my guy turned it into this:
(taken right after he finished)


One shot, about 2 hours. Hurt good. Will do again.

[Miles Archer]

34. Congrats.

First one is always the worst one when it comes to the pain, and the pain isn't that bad at all. It's not that root canal kind of "WTF???" pain. It really is a special experience to go from the art to the initial black outlines to the coloring and then the finished product. At some point I will probably get a fourth.

[OriginalGeek]

35. thanks and good luck on your next one

I'm already pondering my next one lol - there's things I want but I need to figure out what order and I want them in and where I want them. I'm definitely getting Led Zep's 4 symbols and the Napalm Death logo and my clan badge. The first two are easy and should be pretty quick but the last one will involve accurately capturing our tartan so that may take a while longer...